The Two Queens
by Cristinne
Summary: Hermione is sent undercover to Forks to investigate a mere muggle and her connection to the Death Eaters. A simple job for the brightest witch of her age, perhaps, but she may just be biting off more than she can chew.
1. Prologue: Checkmate

**me: Hey guuys. This is my first ever Crossover fic so-**

**Hermione: I can't believe you would send me over to America. You don't even own me! JKR DOES. **

**Bella: Yeah. Not me either. I belong to Edward~ and to SM. Back off.**

**me: uhh... yeah. Go away. I'm talking to them. So yeah, this takes place right after the Golden Trio got the Hufflepuff Horcrux. It gets pretty AU from there, the war's still on, but at a slower pace... No major fighting yet, just Voldie taking over England and slowly spreading his evil to America... so. enjoy. :D**

Prologue

The world whizzed by outside the taxi window as it weaved its way through the traffic straight from the airport. For the girl riding in the backseat, it was a whole new country, a whole new world, and there was so much to see; and yet, blank, unseeing eyes stared out, taking nothing in, so preoccupied was she in her thoughts. She was not supposed to be here. She had not spent the whole summer sleeping in the woods, tracking down Horcruxes only to be sent far away from it all. Tearing her eyes away from the window, she glanced at the file on her lap given by the Order the day she left England.

The Order, she thought, cursing. The Order had thought it a good idea to send spies to America, and she had agreed with them. It was a known fact that Death Eaters were now being sent abroad, and spies were needed to know what the hell they were doing there. What she didn't take into account to, however, was their decision to send _her._

_How could they send me?_ she silently fumed, remembering the urge to punch Kingsley Shacklebolt's face in when they first broke the news and suddenly wanting to pummel the seat as well. She had nothing against America, but she wanted to be in the war where she belonged, right in the thick of things, fighting for her loved ones _with_ her loved ones. Now everything just seemed wrong, and in the forty-five minutes she had spent in this cab, she couldn't help but compare everything to the English way of doing things. It was childish, she knew, but oddly satisfying.

Sighing, she opened the file and started reading, barely giving the picture of the brown haired beauty a glance. Isabella Marie Swann... age 18, muggle, lives in Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie Swann, is believed to have been in contact with unregistered Animagi and vampires. She stopped and stared at the word. Vampires weren't her best subject, having ran into one or two of the red-eyed bloodsuckers before and she wasn't eager to meet more of them, especially foreign ones. _Goodness knows how crazy these Americans could be, even driving on the wrong side of the road, _she noted bitterly. Unregistered Animagi she could handle. Apparently, they all turned into wolves, and she'd had enough experience with rogue wizards to know how to trap them whilst in their animal form. What she was really worried about, however, was the girl. According to the file, she attracted magic like no human ever has, despite being a muggle, and she just knew that this girl was going to be so much trouble. _Great. I travel all around England destroying Voldemort's soul and what do I get? A fucking babysitting assignment. Merlin's pants! I didn't study six years at Hogwarts to become an international babysitter. _She thought angrily, her head starting to throb. Despite all her complaints, however, she knew that this was more than a _babysitting_ job; this assignment could be extremely dangerous. Muggles attracting magic was never a good sign; they didn't know how to handle it and ended up destroying a lot of things and dying.

_Kneading her temples, she went over her cover story once more - she is Elizabeth Puckle, age 17, coming to live in the Swann residence as an exchange student to America. There she would observe the Swann girl, figure out her connection to the vamps and get to them before the Death Eaters did. The Order had reason to believe that Voldemort was now recruiting foreigners as well, and she, Hermione Jean Granger, had to stop them. At all costs._

"We're nearly there, miss, so you can fix that headache of yours real soon." said the cab driver, peering at Hermione through the windshield mirror. She smiled, thanking him before looking back out the window. The highways and cars were gone, replaced by trees and lush foliage. It was beautiful, but she could not appreciate it, not now.

"Oh look, we're just crossing the border. Welcome to Forks, miss." He grinned toothily at her and she smiled back. At that very second, a shudder passed through Hermione's body and in a flash, her wand was out, clutched tightly in her hand. Looking around at the forest that enclosed them from both sides, she tried to catch sight of whatever it was that caused this... this feeling of foreboding and imminent danger, but she saw nothing. Not quite willing to let her guard down just yet, she leaned back, still looking around, wand still in hand. This town looked innocent, that was true, but she knew it held more secrets than it could ever hope to hide.

In the shadows, three pairs of eyes watched the cab as it sped by before disappearing from the spot with a loud crack.

* * *

><p>"So who's this exchange student you agreed to take in?" asked the pale young man on the windowsill as he watched the excited girl fixing up the guest room. She turned and smiled at him, making him wonder once more at the beauty that was his.<p>

"Oh Edward, you should know. Name's Elizabeth, she's from England. Apparently, she's intelligent enough that her school sent her here to study the American culture" She said, covering the bed with deep purple sheets. "And, well, our school thought this year's valedictorian should take her in, but since you guys refused..." she trailed of with a shrug.

He smiled and in a second was next to her, holding her in her arms. He grinned, hearing her heartbeat pick up pace. "Well then, good luck, because I hear a pair of wheels just outside... and it isn't your father's." And just like that, he was gone, leaving the window curtains fluttering in his wake. She dashed down hurriedly, pausing with her hand on the doorknob while outside, Hermione paused with her finger hovering over the doorbell. Both girls stood nervously on either side of the door, each one wondering what the next few months would bring though their expectations greatly differed: one looking forward to great times with a sister she never had, the other expecting nothing less than days filled with danger. None of them could have known that at this very moment, their deaths were being planned, an elaborate and infallible plan, one that had already started.

Five thousand miles away, a hooded figure smiled as his queen travelled over the chessboard, knocking down the opponent's queen. He grinned.

"Checkmate."

**Yeah. I kinda purposely made this chapter short, and I'm sorry. It's just the prologue anyway... **

**So. Review and point out my mistakes, ask questions, whatever. There's gonna be Hermione/Jacob and Edward's a douche in here, (but Bella's gonna be with somebody. :) so leave if you hate it that way. Review and I'll give you cookies! OR, I could just Avada Kedavra you if you don't. ^^**


	2. Chapter 1: The Reti Opening

**Hey hey hey! I was so happy at the reviews that I just had to update, and fast... I hope I don't disappoint you guys with this chapter. I'm working on improving myself. Oh, and yeah, if any of you have some time and great kindness, would anybody like to beta this story? Or suggest someone who could? I kinda don't know how this Beta thing works. I'm sorry **

**And so. Here we go. :)**

* * *

><p><em>Run. Run. Keep running.<em>

A flash of red through the forest.

_Stupid mutts are nothing...Just keep running._

The red streaked past, followed by several brown ones.

_Where the hell is Laurent when you need him?_

A curse was heard; one of the hulking brown figures had fallen into a trap. There was no time to celebrate, however, as the remaining wolves gained on her.

_Keep running. You cannot fail. Not now._

An image of stormy gray eyes flashed through her mind. Involuntarily, she shuddered, feeling disgusted immediately after at the weakness she had shown. Suddenly, her ears picked something up: waves crashing on rocks not four miles from here. Her heart soared and she let out a small laugh of triumph. Quickly changing courses, she reached a cliff and, turning to give her pursuers a feral grin, she jumped.

The wolves stopped, staring down at the sea where the redhead had disappeared. She had slipped through their fingers. Again.

Several panicked birds flew out the treetops as frustrated howls pierced the night sky.

...

She twisted and turned in her bed, pushing all the covers away from her as several images floated through her mind, disturbing her dreams.

_"The mudblood... America. Find..."_

"No... no. Stop..." Red and black, red and black, swirling dizzyingly around her head. Suddenly, an all too familiar face swam in front of her, her eyes and hair a painful red. The face opened her mouth and a laugh was heard, a cruel and malicious laugh, one that promised torture and death. She turned and ran, hoping to get away from it, but to no avail; her legs turned to lead and everything seemed slowed down, suspended in time.

_"Give me... Hermione..."_

A cold, disembodied drawl, one that sent shivers up her spine. She whirled, trying to place the source of the voice, but seeing nothing in the darkness; even the face of the hunting female had gone. Then she saw it - a pair of piercing gray eyes, staring straight at her, at her thoughts, at her soul.

_"Avada Kedavra."_

A flash of bright green... and her own brown eyes flew open. Sweating and panting heavily, Bella opened the window, letting air in. Several howls could be heard in the distance, but she wrapped herself up in her blanket and fell back to bed; in the morning, she remembered nothing of the dream.

...

"Good morning, Bella, Mr. Swan. Do you need any help?" asked the English girl as she entered the kitchen, seeing Bella at the stove. It was a typical rainy Monday morning, at least as typical as it could get in a town full of vampires, mysterious wolves and clueless townspeople. Charlie and Bella both looked up at their guest, smiling.

"No, no, sit down. Bella's almost done, anyway." Charlie said, offering her the seat across him. He gave her another awkward smile before clearing his throat and disappearing behind the newspaper once more. "Don't mind him; Dad's not really good with people." Bella said, placing the food on the table and sliding into her seat.

"Well, let's eat.. You look like you've been up all night; were you not able to sleep?" She asked, concern in her voice. Indeed, the young witch had stayed up all night, going over various plans and reading the files she had once more. And when she heard several faint howls sometime around three in the morning, she couldn't help but think that perhaps there was more to this "pack" of Animagi than she thought. She just shrugged, however, and replied that jet lag must have caught up to her.

They finished breakfast quickly, and, bidding her father a hurried goodbye, Bella showed Hermione to her truck. "It's not much, but it gets me there." She said, patting the truck fondly. "Charlie gave it to me when I first got here, you see."

"Well I think it looks nice." Hermione replied, giving Bella a small smile, who laughed. "Yeah. Right. As nice as the weather today is. Come on, get in, we'll be late for your first day."

The drive to school was uneventful, though Hermione couldn't help but glance around, nervously playing with the straps of her bag which held her wand. Bella, noticing this, told her not to worry. "I mean, you'll be the center of attention for a week or so, but it'll pass." She said with a wink.

"Attention, I can handle." Hermione replied, thinking of Harry and Ron, feeling a pang of loneliness. She missed them, all of them, and she had no idea of what was going on over there right now. Holding on to the saying "No news is good news," however, she shook her thoughts away. She had a mission to do, and the sooner she finished it, the sooner she could get back. Speaking of her mission...

"Bella, may I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Last night, did you hear anything...unusual?"

"Unusual how?"

"Like... howls. Wolf howls."

Instantly, Jacob and his pack came to Bella's mind and, wishing to pass it off as nothing out of the ordinary, she shrugged. "We've got some wolves around here, but they never come near the homes." She said nonchalantly.

"I... I see." Hermione wasn't convinced, however. She knew those howls came from more than just ordinary wolves. Those howls almost sounded like... like voices. She turned to stare back out the window, wondering if the Swan girl really knew what they were or not.

The school was tiny and gray, somehow fitting the description of a small-town school isolated and hidden from the rest of the world. Despite her being muggleborn, she was taken aback by the small campus; she had become used to the large, sprawling grounds and huge corridors of Hogwarts. There weren't much people in the parking area, but those who were there were staring at her unashamedly. She ignored them, however; she wasn't going to be intimidated by them, not when she had faced much greater dangers than curious teenagers. She couldn't see why vampires would want to live in a place like Forks; every little thing was noticed and disappearances amongst the townspeople would have become really huge issues.

"Elizabeth, over here!" Bella called, cutting into her thoughts. She was standing a few paces away with three other people, her arms around one of them, a tall, pale guy with striking golden eyes. She moved over warily. There was something off about them.

"This is Alice Cullen, Jasper Hale, and my boyfriend Edward. Guys, meet Elizabeth Puckle." She said happily. Alice and Edward narrowed their eyes, while Hermione's widened. She was surprised; she knew the vampires were around here somewhere, but she never thought they would make it this easy for her to find them. The air seemed thick and heavy with tension, each side weighing the other, trying to stare each other down; and then in a second it was gone, lifted by the soft, tinkling laugh of the pixie-like vampire. "A new friend! This is great." She skipped over to shake Hermione's hand. "What do you say we go shopping together this afternoon?" Bella groaned, but Hermione agreed. What better way to gather information than to spend a whole afternoon with one of them? In the end, Bella conceded, at Alice's pleas. "Perfect! I'll see you at lunch then. Come on, Jasper!" With a nod, their silent companion turned and left, catching up with his mate. "I've got to go too, love. I'll see you at lunch with your... friend." Eyes still narrowed at Hermione, Edward stooped to give Bella a kiss on the head and he too walked away. There was something wrong with the girl, he was sure of it. He couldn't read her mind, but it felt different from Bella's... It was like there were really walls constructed to keep him out, tangible walls that felt as though he could knock them down if he tried really hard. And that aura she gave off - It was an aura of such immense power, it was almost... magical. He shook his head. Magic didn't exist in humans, and if her heartbeat was any indicator of it, she was as human as Bella was. He sighed. _More troublesome humans have shown up._

"Hey, Bella? This may sound weird, but do those friends of yours really study here?" Bella had to laugh at that question. The Cullens really did look too beautiful for this school. "Yeah, I actually met Edward in Biology class. He's been my lab partner since that day." Hermione was stunned, and the gears in her brain started whirring quickly once more. _Vampires. In a school filled with defenseless humans. _She looked askance at the girl beside her, pointing out the different parts of the school. _Does this girl have no idea of how much danger she - and the whole town - is in? I knew she's been in contact with them, but to actually be with them every day... Doesn't she at least sense something dangerous? Has she no sense of self-preservation at all?_

"Elizabeth? Um, were you listening?" Snapped out of her reverie, Hermione turned to face the questioning look Bella was giving her. She smiled apologetically. "Yes, I'm sorry, I was just a bit distracted, and I'm still a little tired. Shameless, aren't they?" she said, glancing at a group of girls they had passed by, and who were staring straight at her, whispering amongst themselves. "Ignore them, it'll pass. I got the same treatment too when I first moved here a year back." Bella said, pausing to give the girls a hard glare. "As I was saying, we've been invited to La Push tomorrow evening. That's the reserve for these native Americans. I've got a few friends over there, and I think you'll hit it off with Jacob Black, my best friend. You'll see. Oh, here we are." Bella opened the door to a room and Hermione followed her in. Her brain was now going on overdrive. If her hunch was right, then tomorrow evening would be rather eventful; she had a feeling this _Jacob Black_ had something to do with last night's howls. She didn't know how, she just had this feeling. He was Bella's best friend, and with the way the muggle girl was going now, she had reason to suspect that he was more than an ordinary human. _Bella has a vampire for a boyfriend; What are the odds her best friend's something else as well?_ Once more, she wondered at her host's tendencies to attract magic like no one ever has. Little did she know that he was far more significant than just another unregistered delinquent she had to round up.

...

The candles flickered in their sconces, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Three figures waited with bated breath outside a huge chestnut door before it opened and a small diminutive figure bowed them in. With a barely a glance at each other, they entered, not sure of what to expect. It was a large and depressing room, with a single high-backed chair at the center, the fireplace their only source of light. Several cloaked figures stood in the shadows, silently watching the new arrivals' approach, faces obscured by silver masks.

"You're late." All three cringed as the cold hiss washed over them. One of them, presumably their leader, stepped forward.

"We've had trouble, sir. There are guardians on the land, shapeshifters, designed with the express purpose of destroying our kind."

"I was told you were the best the Volturi had to offer. It seems I was... deceived."

The silence that followed was tense, dangerous. A few heavy minutes passed. Unable to bear it any longer, the smallest of the three stepped forward, snarling, her hood falling to reveal bright, crimson hair. Swiftly, the other two held her back as the twelve or more cloaked figures raised their wands.

"A single word, and your puny, immortal life would end." The voice hissed with amusement. "Put your wands down. Draco." The shadows shifted, and a young man stepped forward. He wore a cloak, like the rest of them, but he had no mask; evidently, he was not yet fully part of them.

"Go back with them. You know what to do." With a low bow, Draco Malfoy exited, his hood covering the smirk that had formed on his face as the three vampires followed him out.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think? I really wanna know what you think. Either that or I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you want Bella to die, so imma finish her off... Just kidding. Oh yeah, thanks for all those who reviewed last chapter... Oh and I'm sorry if Hermione's OOC, she's such a complex character and I kinda find it hard to stick with it. I'm working on it :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Oh Elizabeth, that looks so good on you, you have to get that!" Hermione restrained herself from grimacing and forced a smile on her face. This had been going on all afternoon.

"I don't think I will, thanks. I think I've reached my limit." She replied to the extremely perky girl in front of her. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought Alice was simply another teenage muggle who lived to shop; but no, she was far from that. She was a vampire, after all.

"Oh but Bella said you're going over to La Push tomorrow evening, right? That outfit would be perfect!" Shrugging, Hermione returned to the dressing room. "Nevertheless, I think I've bought enough for today." She said, smiling at Alice's disappointed face before swing the curtains shut.

This was not entirely true, but when you spent the last few months living in forests where being able to buy fresh food, much less new clothes, was a special treat, two shopping bags was more than enough. Besides, Hermione was never one for shopping for clothes. Books, yes, but not clothes. Leave that to Lavender.

That day was not going entirely to Hermione's plan. She was immediately singled out by the students for being the new girl and the new "teacher's pet" (as some rude girls from Spanish class put it.) It seemed that knowing the answers and raising her hand in class was a deeply ingrained habit she could not stop; a habit she missed, she quickly found out. There had been no school for her for the past year and she missed just being able to study and to answer. As it was, almost all the teachers had heard of her by lunchtime and some of them were clamoring for her to take their class. Students who actually paid attention was something they had all dreamed about, but had yet to find.

And now this. It wasn't that she disliked shopping; in fact, she missed being able to shop like this, remembering the summer afternoons she would spend with her mother at the mall.

It was the fact that she had spent one whole day in the presence of vampires and the more she learned about them, the less sense they made. They were well known throughout the school, and yet nobody seemed to notice that they were different in the dangerous way. They attended classes and got good grades. Hell, just the very fact that they were in a school full of defenseless humans was enough to blow just about everything Hermione knew about vampires out the window! It was mind-boggling, but she knew she couldn't very well ask just what exactly they were doing here.

After all, hey-you're-a-vampire-so-why-aren't-you-drinking-my-blood isn't exactly a good conversation starter. She wouldn't live long enough to hear the next word said.

Later that evening, as she was lying in bed replaying the day in her mind, she would smile at the way Alice called her a friend, and at the afternoon spent in the company of girls her age. Goodness knows how long she had spent her days with two boys that attracted trouble like a magnet, living in whatever forest they could find. She felt another pang in her heart; she really did miss those two. _The idiots._ She thought fondly.

She missed them, and yes, a war was being waged and all their lives were in danger, but for now, she would take whatever normalcy she could get. Even if normalcy meant being friends with an overly perky vampire.

...

The next afternoon showed a determined Hermione ready to hunt down the next group she was sent to investigate: the Animagi. She wasn't any closer to finding anything more out of the vampires (though Alice invited them over for the next day; that was progress) but she was determined to find something out of these shapeshifters.

Somehow, though, she sensed no magic anywhere; just a faint trace, left, she was sure, by the Death Eaters. She glanced at the girl in the truck beside her as they made their way over to La Push, wondering once more what it was with her attracted so much power. Bella was human, she was sure of it. She was a muggle as well. But something (Hermione was not sure what) about her caused magic to flock around her, though she seemed totally oblivious of it all.

But perhaps she wasn't so oblivious after all. _Who knows?_ Thought the witch. _Maybe she is aware... which makes it all the more dangerous._

_..._

The bonfire roared, flames licking up towards the darkening sky, causing the shadows to dance. It was simply another gathering for everyone in the tribe, a short reprieve from all their duties. For some, it was a time for the family. For others, it was a time to be with the ones they loved romantically.

He looked expectantly at the approaching truck, his heart beating much faster than usual with anticipation that even he gave a small frown in confusion. He had never been this excited to see Bella before; perhaps his love for her just became greater? He hadn't seen her in three days at least. Perhaps he just missed her more than usual. Shaking his head, he looked back up at the now parked truck, waiting for the occupants to get down. The slam of a car door was heard and Bella appeared, smiling at the whole lot of them. Jacob grinned and motioned for her to sit next to him, but for no apparent reason, he seemed to be expecting someone else, looking behind Bella for another person. Now he really was confused; just who was he waiting for? Perhaps he was tired. But no, that wasn't it. He looked up in surprise, though, as a second, softer slam was heard - there was another person in the truck.

And then he felt it - he was floating away, away from everyone, away from the world, floating out to space and beyond; but then he felt himself yanked back, tied to _her_, to her who had just appeared; his whole self, his whole world anchored itself to her, the only reason for him to remain in this world, the only reason for him to live...

No. This was wrong. This was dead wrong.

He stood abruptly, a tornado of conflicting thoughts raging inside of him. He didn't know her, had never seen her before in his entire life, and yet... and yet he felt like he loved her.

No. No. This was a mistake, this was wrong, who the hell was she anyway?

Without a word, he walked hurriedly inside, up to his room, his whole world turning upside down right before his very eyes.

_Bella. Think of Bella. Think of the girl you love - Isabella Swan._

He tried to picture the long, brown hair of Bella that he had always dreamed of raking his hands through, but all that came to mind was the bushy curls of the newcomer.

_No no no Bella, Bella, think of Bella!_

With a growing sense of panic, he tried thinking of the girl whom he had loved for so long - her doe brown eyes, her full lips, her whole face that he had grown so familiar with... But all he could see was the devastatingly pretty face of the stranger whom he did not even know the name of.

_I love Bella. Bella. Not that girl..._

But even as he thought it, he felt that the words sounded so wrong. With a shock that sent him reeling, he realized that in a single split second, everything had changed - he did not love Bella anymore.

"Jacob? What's wrong?"

He spun around, seeing the concerned face of Sam at his door.

"You've got everyone worried. Come on down when you're ready, everybody's here."

Jacob just grunted in response, looking around at his room and noting with surprise that he had somehow punched a small hole on his wall in his blind panic. Shifting slightly to try and conceal the hole from the leader of the pack, he nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be down soon. You guys start ahead of me."

Sam nodded and headed back down, concern and confusion still etched clearly in his face. He shook his head, thinking that perhaps Jacob's rebellion phase had reached its peak.

Jacob stood in the middle of his room, taking deep, calming breaths.

_Okay. Just...just don't think of her. Don't ruin her evening... NO! I mean, don't ruin everyone's evening. She... I mean they went through the trouble of coming over...Shit I think I'm going crazy!_

Sucking up his gut, though, and forcing all his thoughts out his head, he went back out, feeling a bit embarrassed at how he acted once he saw the concerned faces turned towards him. He gave a halfhearted grin to everybody, sitting in his previous spot beside Bella.

"Jacob, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He turned to her, desperate to remember her face, but all he saw was a gray outline, a faint reminder of the girl he had been obsessing over the past year. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he nodded.

His eyes started moving of their own accord, drawn to the girl sitting quietly beside Bella. She alone stood out in full color, and he instantly calmed down at the sight of her; but then he remembered that this was all wrong, he didn't even know her.

"Jacob, this is Elizabeth Puckle, the exchange student I told you about last week. Elizabeth, this is Jacob Black, my best friend."

Bronze met dark brown, and in that instant they both knew that _this_ was the person they had been looking for all along.

Hermione smiled in triumph - she had found two out of the three groups she had been looking for. The vampires she had met, now these rogue shapeshifters... all that was left were the elusive death eaters. She smirked. She knew this was going to be easy.

Jacob smiled in pure admiration - he was entranced by her beauty, heightened in his eyes by his current condition. He was lost in her eyes, vaguely registering the words coming out of his friend's mouth and had to be hit in the head to shake him from his reverie.

"Jacob! Sam's calling for you, didn't you hear him?"

Jumping up with a start, Jacob smiled at Bella apologetically before making his way over to the watching alpha. As he approached the other side of the bonfire, Sam's face broke into a huge, knowing grin, catching Jacob off-guard. Confused, Jacob stood awkwardly in front of him, looking at him curiously.

"Sam... you alright?" He simply laughed in response, further confusing the younger wolf.

"I've been watching you, Jake, and I think I know what's wrong with you."

He waited, quiet for the first time in his life.

"Jake... you've imprinted."

And that was it. A variety of emotions welled up in him - relief that he wasn't going mental, amazement and shock at the fact that he was experiencing a phenomenon, but most of all anger at the suddenness of it all. He had loved the same girl for a whole year, then suddenly a glitch in his wolf genes was forcing him to love another? He hadn't felt it for a long time, but it came back as strong as ever now, the feeling of being cursed with his genes. Being a wolf suddenly seemed like the most terrible thing that could happen to him.

He looked around, his world spinning once more. Everything was stifling him, suffocating him; the knowing smiles of Sam, the heat of the bonfire, the flames dancing up to the sky, the laughter of the oblivious girl as Quil and Embry entertained the guests... He had to get out of here. Fast.

"Sam, please make an excuse for me, I need to go for a run."

Understanding, Sam nodded and watched as Jacob all but ran to the back of the house and, he knew, into the forest.

Sending a mental message to Seth and Leah that he was taking over their patrol shift for them and making sure he alone was in wolf form, Jacob started running as fast as he could, trying unsuccessfully to drown his thoughts in the wind. Stopping for a while in his anguish, he could do nothing more than sit under a tree and stare at the cold forest floor as thoughts of Elizabeth filled him. While he was happy that he would finally be able to let go of the impossible love he felt for Bella, he did not much relish the idea of imprinting with a complete stranger.

So lost was he in his thoughts that he did not notice the approaching presence until he was right in front of him. And by then, it was too late; a mutter, and he felt like his brain had been opened, like someone was going through his mind, sifting through his thoughts, reading them like an open book... images of the past days filled his brain, flashing by in rapid succession and he could do nothing to stop them... Forks, his family, his pack, the night patrols, the redheaded bloodsucker with her comrades, Carlisle's coven...and then _her_ image burst clearly into his mind's eye and it all stopped.

"Imprinting, huh?"

A cold, low drawl that made him growl. He jumped up to face the hooded figure in front of him, lowering his haunches, ready to spring.

"Hostile, are we? You're no match for me, _wolf." _The contempt was heard clearly in his voice and Jacob, insulted, charged. It happened so fast; one moment he jumped, ready to bite the stranger to death, and the next he was lying down, rigid, unable to move a muscle save for the eyes. The figure moved to stand in Jacob's line of vision, smirking at the prostrate form of the young wolf on the ground.

"Violence won't get you anywhere with me. Now, I normally wouldn't be talking to scum like you, especially since the Dark Lord deemed you lot... unworthy of his army, but it seems you have crossed a line." He spoke slowly, as though Jacob would not understand otherwise. Anger boiled from deep within Jacob and he started struggling violently, but try as hard as he might, it did him no good. He glared at the stranger, projecting all the venom and hate he could muster through his eyes. The stranger merely laughed.

"This is simply a warning. I know of your movements, of your plans, and we have been sparing you... but do not touch what is mine." His voice had lowered into a dangerous hiss, not merely insulting now. "Do not touch Hermione Granger. The mudblood is mine."

Jacob's confusion showed in his eyes, replaced almost immediately by hard defiance, though he did not know what the man meant. He did not like his tone and he took orders from nobody, especially not from an arrogant stranger.

"Oh? You don't take orders from... _arrogant _strangers like myself, I see." Jacob's eyes grew wide. He was reading his mind. _Fuck you, what are you doing? _He thought, glaring daggers at the man. Could this be another bloodsucker friend of Edward's? A string of curse words ran through his mind, all directed at him.

"No. Though admittedly human, I much more dangerous than vampires." He leaned in closer, his voice now icy cold, hard and angry. "I am much more dangerous than anyone you have ever known. Crucio."

Pain like no other. His very bones were on fire, every inch of him searing in white hot pain as a thousand knives stabbed his whole body repeatedly, never letting up, the fire increasing in heat and strength. He could not even cry out, could not even writhe in agony as his muscles refused to move. He was going to die here, he was going to die, alone under the pitiless gray orbs of the maniac regarding him cooly, as though he was some circus sideshow... and as sudden as it all started, it stopped.

With one last smirk at the furry mass at his feet, Draco Malfoy turned on the spot and disappeared with a loud crack.

It took but a few more seconds before Jacob could move once more, and even then his muscles were extremely sore. Limping back, he caught sight of Sam standing behind the house, looking for him worriedly; apparently, the leader had sensed something was wrong with his charge.

"Jacob! What happened?"

"Someone... hooded... There's someone out there, Sam, he overpowered me like it was nothing..."

"Vampire?"

"No... a human..."

As he proceeded to relate everything that had transpired, the older man could only growl in alarm and disbelief. Humans overpowering wolves... it was just not possible. He had to be something more than a human; perhaps he wasn't even mortal. But if he wasn't a vampire, what was he? None of the tribal stories mentioned creatures like these, and he was worried for the town. How do you fight hostile people you knew nothing about and who could take down a full-grown wolf without even touching him? He shook his head. The whole pack would have to be warned, and the elders consulted. None of this made any sense at all.

Around the corner stood Hermione Granger, hidden from sight as she listened with growing fear to the two males behind the house. With the excuse of needing some fresh air, she had come to investigate what sounded suspiciously like someone apparating and had watched as Jacob approached, limping. There was no doubt about it; there were Death Eaters in town, though they did not seem to be wanting the help of these shapeshifters. She turned, rejoining the party, lost in thought. The Death Eaters were closer than she had estimated. With grim determination, she hid her fears behind her smiles.

Her real work starts now.

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><p><strong>Because I'm actually a Dramione fan. : Oh, crack pairings. Why do I love you so much~<strong>

**I'm really really sorry for the extremely late update! I could give a thousand excuses, starting with the fact that internet now means an hour and a half ride into town, and my license but a distant dream into the distant future, but still... that's no excuse. And so, I'm sorry. **

**And so I'm thinking of putting more JacobHermione moments in the next chap. The Death Eaters are so near, there's not enough time for their relationship to develop...but it will, I promise, I've got it all planned out. **

**Sorry if the chapter's a bit awkward, I kinda hurried it a bit and it hasn't been beta-ed. I had a lot of fun writing Jacob's reaction to Hermione though. Poor guy. ^^ **

**Oh, just something I forgot to say before, Puckle was Hermione's original last name before JKR changed it to Granger. Which leads us to the disclaimer... I own nothing. Not even Puckle. Elizabeth maybe. But not Puckle. xD**

**So yeah, thanks for all the reviews I got last time! Until next time, which I promise to try putting up sooner... I've found a hidden internet cafe that isn't always full of people, so hooray for that! :D Ja~**


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Carlisle, we need to talk." The older vampire looked up, his ageless face darkening at the grim expression his adopted son was wearing. He knew this time would come, sooner or later, though he had done his best to avoid it.

Motioning at Edward to take a seat, he leaned back on his chair and surveyed him with his ever kind eyes, putting his hands together on the desk.

"I'm listening."

"It's the wizards. I think I've found another one of them."

Carlisle sighed and sat back up, turning to look at the cypress trees growing outside his window, a subtle reminder of what they were. It was ironic, in a way.

"What did they want?"

"Not a they. She. She was alone, and is now living in Bella's house. I don't know what she wants, what she's doing here, but I'm sure that whatever it is, it's not good. Perhaps she too was sent by the Volturi's ally."

If it was possible for a vampire's face to show pain and grief, it would have been heartbreaking to look at Carlisle. Even then, the stress was evident in his golden eyes, the only indicator of how troubled he was. His mind drifted back to just two months ago, when the first letter came to him. Two days later, there were humans with powers that could equal theirs knocking on the door. He hasn't had peace since then.

"This girl could be their ultimatum. The power I sensed from her was much greater than those who have been visiting us. We can't ignore them any longer, the deadline is next week; what have you decided?"

He looked up wearily. "Call the others; it's time we put this to the final vote."

"No need, we're here." Both vampires looked up to see Esme, Rosalie and Emmet enter through the door. A few seconds later, Alice swung in through the window, closely followed by Jasper. Everyone's faces was unusually grim, even Alice. The situation was much too serious, although Alice hated being like this.

"We can't ignore them any longer, huh? Well then I say we reject them and kick them out of Forks!" Everyone turned to look with surprise at the pixie-like vampire, her eyes narrowed in anger at the strangers who dared threaten them and Bella. She would be lying if she said she wasn't even a bit scared of them, but she knew that rejecting them was the right thing.

Edward snarled. She had said the same thing two months ago, but though he respected his adoptive sister's advice and opinions so much (goodness knows how many times she saved the family) he couldn't agree with her on this one. No - there was just too much at stake, beginning with his beloved Bella.

"Do you not care what will happen to Forks? To _Bella?_ I thought you see her as your sister now. Are you not aware of what could happen to her?"

Alice bristled, her temper flaring up for once. She loved her brother, but he could be such an obstinate blockhead sometimes.

"Of course I care! So run! Flee the country, go into hiding with her! We could protect Forks with the help of the wolves. These people are _evil_, Edward, and I will not help them with their plans! They mean to use us in a _war,_ do you not understand that?"

A hand landed lightly on her shoulder, stopping her angry tirade. Jasper squeezed her shoulder slightly before looking straight at Carlisle, giving Edward a half glance.

"I agree with Alice."

The room was painfully quiet, the only sound coming from the crickets outside as the sky swiftly darkened. Nobody moved, marble statues waiting for the rest to speak. Unable to take the silence anymore, Emmett shifted and looked up. Instantly, all eyes were on him.

"I think... that Alice is right. Helping them would mean killing humans in a war. I don't want that, even if those humans aren't the defenseless ones we're used to."

At this, Rosalie flipped her hair back and studied her perfectly manicured fingernails, blowing on them before looking evenly at everyone else.

"I hate the idea of working with mutts, but I think I'll go with Alice on this one." Her eyes glinted maliciously and she scoffed. "I don't care what happens to Bella either way."

Edward snarled once more, murderous thoughts racing through his head. Rosalie had gone too far; she was going to get it now. He dropped down to an offensive stance, with the intent of teaching her a lesson, and she grinned, the expression dangerous on her face.

"Enough." They all turned to look at the weary Carlisle, Edward shooting Rosalie one last murderous glare. The oldest vampire was once again staring out the window tiredly, his mind made up.

"4 in favor of not joining then. Esme?"

"Yes... I think... we can protect Bella and this town enough... I'm sorry, Edward, but I agree with Alice."

Carlisle got up, surveying everyone in the room before giving a small smile.

"It's decided then." At that moment, a jet black owl swooped in from the open window, dropping a scarlet envelope before flying back out. Carlisle deftly caught it, staring at it in wonder; it had begun to smoke. All too suddenly, it burst into flames, Carlisle instinctively dropping it. From the burning letter came a shrill, unearthly voice, shrieking madly, amplified by the sensitive vampire ears.

_REMEMBER THE LAST._

The silence that ensued was terrible, all eyes on the smoldering remains of the letter on the floor, the ashes a sign of what was to come.

Despite Hermione's forebodings of the night before, the next two days had been spent in relative peace and normality, if you could call being introduced to a vampire family normal.

They were a friendly bunch, the charade they called "family" taken too seriously. It was all there - there was the father, Carlisle, the mother, Esme, and the sons and daughters all living in one house (an extremely expensive looking one too, noted Hermione) in relatively close quarters to fresh human blood.

Imagine her astonishment when she found out Carlisle worked in a hospital.

She was itching to get to a library and research about these strange new phenomenon. She had never heard of "vegetarian" (she had to give a small snort of laughter at that term, earning her a weird look from Edward) vampires before and this was the first time she had marched into something she knew so little about. Her extensive readings had failed to produce anything of the sort on these type of vampires, and this had served as motivation for her to know more. It wasn't everyday that the Hogwarts library failed her, after all.

Bella was worried, for more than just one reason. All afternoon, Elizabeth had been asking Carlisle questions that had become increasingly pointed as her curiosity for the Cullen family rose. Bella was worried that the Cullen's secret would be found out sooner or later; Elizabeth was way too smart for her own good, and her questions were getting suspicious. There was a glint in her eyes that showed astonishment and disbelief, and Bella could practically hear the gears of her brain turning. It was unnerving.

The other reason was Edward. He was the same as always; if you didn't look closely enough, that is. He concealed it well, but Bella knew there was something wrong, if the way he kept glancing at Elizabeth and Carlisle edgily, almost angrily, was any indicator. She wondered what it was that Elizabeth was thinking that was making Edward angry.

She heard him curse under his breath, and promptly turned to face him.

"What is it?"

"Your friend... I can't hear what she's thinking at all."

Now _that_ came as a shock.

That afternoon yielded more results than Hermione expected it to, surprising her once again at how easy the vampires were making it for her; indeed, she was half-expecting it all to be a trap, or at least know about her. There was definitely something odd about Edward; sometimes she felt like he was watching her intently, only to find him either staring into Bella's eyes (she shuddered at that, remembering Ron and Lavender back in their sixth year) or talking with the others.

What was even queerer, however, was that she felt his gaze on her only when she was talking to Carlisle, and the feeling intensified when, in her excitement and disbelieving curiosity, she had mistakenly asked him if working in a hospital was difficult for him. But he wouldn't suspect anything from it, right? It was simply an innocent question, after all.

_An 'innocent' question that could spell the difference between their knowing and total ignorance. As things stand, I have reason to believe that Edward senses something... off about me. Perhaps questioning Carlisle like that wasn't the greatest idea after all._

Inwardly cursing her carelessness, she stepped out of the bookstore Bella had dropped her off in after their short visit to the Cullens. Bella had offered to pick her up later that day, but Hermione declined. She knew Bella had a big test she had to study for, and she wanted to look around on her own for a while, so Bella had sped off, looking a bit relieved. Between Edward and Alice, not to mention the wolves, Bella didn't really have much time for studying nowadays.

Hermione walked down the street, alert and on guard while making her way back home, her hands on the roadside railing separating the road from the forest. It was not that long of a trek; Hermione had easily walked (and ran) greater distances. Besides, it wasn't that late; it was barely four. What kept her on her toes, however, was the fact that the forest on either side of the road provided an infinite number of hiding places in which she could be attacked by concealed enemies, and the words of Alastor Moody reverberating in her mind... _Constant Vigilance!_

It was at that moment that it happened. Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of brown streaked past and she jumped away, drawing out her wand, staring at the woods beside her. The forest was quiet and nothing moved, save for the tree leaves rustling in the afternoon breeze. She looked around, not quite believing that what she saw was nothing but her imagination; she definitely saw something move.

_There!_

A huge, brown figure was moving slowly across the trees, almost completely concealed by the dense foliage. She moved closer, straining to get a better view of the hulking mass of brown. She leaned farther in, hands on the railings with her wand still in hand, forgetting the fact that just beyond the low railings, the forest floor sloped steeply downwards.

A loud motorcycle zoomed behind her and she jumped, putting her wand away. She had forgotten the muggle traffic behind her. Looking back at the forest however, she found that the figure had disappeared. Cursing, she leaned over the railings once more, anxious to catch sight of it again, but to no avail; it had completely disappeared.

"One more step and you'll fall off."

She spun, startled, hand instinctively going towards the wand concealed in the front pocket of her pink coat. If they were going to take her, let them try - she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Standing a meter behind her was Jacob Black, surprise apparent at her defensive stance. After what seemed like an eternity of staring with bewilderment at each other, Hermione relaxed and gave an embarrassed laugh, her face a slight shade of pink.

"I'm sorry. Jacob, isn't it?" He nodded, still watching her curiously. When he made no other move, she smiled and turned to leave with a weak excuse involving the grocery. Reacting quickly, Jacob reached out and caught her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

"Hey, why don't we hang out for a while? There are some pretty cool places here in Forks, or I could walk you home..." He trailed off, noticing the knowing yet nervous look on her face. He got nervous. Was he coming on too strong? It was then that she blinked and her eyes trailed down to where his hand was still firmly on hers... and he dropped it quickly with a hurried apology.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't realize..." She smiled at him, and for a moment his heart stopped beating.

"It's fine. I'm expected at Bella's already, so yes, you may walk me home." Mentally pumping a fist in the air in triumph, he grinned at her, offering her his arm.

"I don't know how you guys do it in England, but perhaps I can pass off as a decent gentleman." He said, in a British accent that he couldn't quite pull off. She laughed, a soft tinkling laugh that was music to his ears... and yet that laugh sounded held back, guarded. He stopped thinking about it, however, when she took his proffered arm and he led her down the street.

He glanced back at the spot where she had been staring. He couldn't quite shake the feeling of them being watched and he knew, by the way she glanced back at the spot too, that she felt it as well.

But, he decided, he would ponder on that later; right now, he had Elizabeth holding on to his arm and life didn't get any more better than that.

After all, he was confident that nothing could go wrong today.

How very wrong he was.

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><p><strong>Okay, I realize that the last part was extremely filler-ish and that it took me too long to update (again.) I don't know what the matter is with me already -.-<strong>

**On a brighter note, I finally found a beta! She'll start for next chapter though, so this chapter still hasn't been beta-ed. I just had to post it as soon as I possibly could. So there you go.**

**Oh and for those who want more Jamione (why does that sound wrong) moments, the Death Eaters won't really attack until chapter five, I think... But I'm not a fan of fluff, so there'll not be much of that here... Sorry -.-**

**Lastly, I finally realized that in order for me to work efficiently, I have to set deadlines for myself. And so I set my deadlines to every Monday! I'll try to update every Monday. (I should have done this to begin with.)**

**Oh yeah and thanks for all those who reviewed last time... your reviews certainly made my day! ^^**


	5. Chapter 4

**If I owned HP, I would be the happiest person on earth. But I don't. So I settle for fanfiction.**

**I don't own Twilight either. :P**

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><p>CHAPTER 4<p>

The minute the house was in sight, Hermione knew there was trouble.

The door was wide open and standing there was Charlie in his police uniform, adjusting his hat with his gun in hand. Watching anxiously behind him was Bella, asking what was going on. Jacob and Hermione approached the house hurriedly.

"Charlie, what's up?"

He looked up at Jacob and shook his head tiredly. Looking extremely stressed and grim, he walked out to his car. Bella ran forward and stopped him.

"Dad. What is going on?"

He sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds before facing the three worried faces looking up at him.

"There has been another attack... on a family here in Forks."

"_Another_ attack?"

Charlie turned to Elizabeth while the other two continued gazing at him. He nodded.

"Yes. For the past weeks, there have been several attacks on people around Forks, backpackers and campers in the forest, but never on the town. We thought they were from wolves, but with this case..."

He trailed off, his eyes clearly showing the stress he was going through right now. Jacob growled and Bella put a hand on her forehead. She had more questions, but she knew Charlie had to be there as soon as possible. A strange, cold feeling was spreading through her entire being, like she sensed that something was terribly wrong. This attack was different, and she knew it wasn't the wolves or Victoria because... she glanced at Jacob.

"Dad. Who was attacked?"

Charlie visibly twitched. He merely shook his head and walked to his car, the three following close behind. He moved to open the car door, but Bella's arm shot out, keeping the door shut.

"Dad. Who was it?"

Nobody moved.

"Tell me. Please."

Charlie took a deep breath.

"Angela Weber."

And with that, he wrenched the car door open and sped off into the early night.

...

The two girls sat anxiously in front of the television, waiting for the local evening news to start. Bella was crying silently, tears streaming down the side of her face while Hermione kept a comforting arm around her. Jacob had left earlier, to return to the pack; they were sure to need every member there right now.

The opening notes heralding the evening news was heard and both girls perked up, eyes instantly turning to the glaring light of the TV. A few minutes of inconsequential dialogue among the newscasters passed, and then there it was: the report they had been waiting for.

The camera showed what was clearly Angela's house, recognizable even with the numerous police cars and ambulances parked haphazardly here and there, with the door gone and yellow police tape all around. Bella's eyes widened with each painful word the reporter said.

_No. No. _

The Webers could not be dead... it was impossible. _Angela_ could not be dead.

Hermione let out a small sob. Though they had not been close, the past week spent in Forks had found her a friend in Angela, of whom they had shared a lot of things in common, particularly a love for books. If only they had a few more weeks, they would have been as close to each other as Hermione was to Ginny. If only...

"... no sign of a struggle, except for the door being blasted right out of it's hinges..."

Bella was fully crying by now. Angela was the best human friend she had.

"... bodies were in perfect health, no cuts or wounds, no bruises, nothing to indicate their cause of death..."

It was slowly becoming too much for Bella, and she reached for the remote but Hermione held it tightly in her hand, her knuckles going white and her face drained of color. She leaned forward, her eyes showing fear.

"... murderers left a message... in the sky. What it means, or even how they got it up there, nobody knows..."

The camera panned up from the busy grounds to the evening sky. There was a sharp intake of breath from both girls for there - right above the house was the most grotesque figure anyone had ever seen, visible even in the darkening sky. Nobody understood what it meant, but to Hermione it meant everything; for there, seemingly leering maliciously at everyone watching, was a figure she had never wanted to see again.

A skull with a snake coiling out of its mouth.

And she knew this was only the beginning.

...

That evening was filled with quiet tension and grief, the silence weighing heavily down on them. The very forest seemed to be grieving; the nighttime birds were silent and the trees whispered sadly in the wind. Bella stared blankly at nothing in the table, a once-hot cup of chocolate sitting untouched in front of her while Hermione stood at the windows, peering anxiously out. Charlie had not come home yet.

Hermione worked discreetly, casting wards and protective spells around all the houses that were in sight. She had a sneaking suspicion that the Webers were killed for a reason, and that that reason had something to do with either her or Bella. She knew they wouldn't stop there either. They would keep killing until they had what they wanted.

A disturbing thought passed through her. What if... what if the Death Eaters were using Bella as bait? A threat, a hostage? But there were a lot of holes in that theory, and she was aware of it. Perhaps not only Bella... but the whole town? Were there such powerful people in Forks who loved the townspeople so much? Yes, there were. Her mind flashed back to the conversation she had overheard between Sam and Jacob that first night. It was not the wolves.

The answer was oh so obvious, she smacked herself on the head for only thinking of it now.

_Of course._

The vampires.

...

The pack was in a state of utter confusion and restlessness. Quil, Embry and Jared paced up and down, waiting, wondering why they weren't yet hunting down the bastards that did it. Seth and Leah sat in front of the fire, the former watching the three pace while the latter watched Sam, the flickering fire casting shadows on her face, making her expression unreadable. He sat across them stiffly, hands clenched and eyes on the dark, uninviting forest surrounding them as though restraining himself from jumping up and chasing after the perpetrators. Jacob and Paul were missing.

A few minutes (or what seemed like a whole eternity) later, the two appeared from the forest behind Sam, Paul still pulling his shirt on. All eyes immediately turned to them and Sam jumped up as they stepped into the light of the fire. The three stopped pacing and they all watched with bated breath, waiting for their reconnaissance report. They didn't have to wait long.

"It wasn't a vampire."

Nobody moved, disbelief etched on their faces. All except Sam; he thought as much, with the attack on Jacob a few days ago. That still didn't explain anything.

"There were no traces of vampires, unlike all the other attacks. Whatever killed them, it was decidedly human."

The pack erupted in incredulous mutters and questions, each one not quite willing to believe that humans could stage such a clean and mysterious murder.

"Then it isn't any of our business any longer."

The mutters and questions stopped as all eyes turned to Leah, who had been sitting quietly all the while, watching the Alpha pace around. She had her hands stretched in front of her, staring into the fire. She looked up at the pack, her impassive face made more terrible by the flickering shadows of the fire, silently daring them to contradict her. In a way, she was right, after all; as long as it didn't concern the vampires, it didn't concern them. Their purpose was to keep the vampires in check; human wars were best left to the humans.

She was right, they all knew that, but that didn't make them any happier.

"But Sam -"

He ignored the renewed outbreak of discontent mutterings, choosing instead to stare at Leah's wooden expression.

Finally, he spoke.

"She's right. I don't like it, but she's right - for now. We keep out of this for now."

He did not know why he kept silent on Jacob's attack, but one look at the younger wolf told him that he had better not say anything about it. Jacob's face clearly said no, and though he could not understand why, he respected Jacob's decisions. It didn't concern the rest of the pack, after all; it didn't concern them _yet._

_..._

Soft notes wafted through the dark night, sad yet sweet at the same time. Moonlight from the full, golden moon shone through a clearing in the forest, falling on the white, stucco house, creating a dramatic picture of peace and tranquility.

Inside, however, was a different story.

Esme sat at the piano, trying to keep things calm through the soothing notes she played. Emmet and Jasper played a quiet game of chess while Rosalie watched, head resting on Emmet's shoulder. Alice stood at the windows, watching the clouds drift by outside and Edward stood in the shadows beside her, still as a statue, eyes on Carlisle's office door.

Five minutes later, they all tensed and looked up expectantly; a few seconds passed and three figures emerged from his office. Two men in pitch black robes came out, surveyed the room and nodded curtly at each of them before sweeping past out. Carlisle lingered at the door, watching their retreating figures; identical loud cracks were heard and they were gone.

The heavy, tense air in the room lifted considerably. The music stopped as Esme rose to stand next to her husband comfortingly. He smiled down at her, putting his hand around her shoulders before looking up to face the rest of the room. Emmett had a huge grin on his face, Jasper was as stoic as ever, Rosalie looked bored and Alice continued watching the clouds with a smile. Only Edward remained on edge. Carlisle's golden eyes found his and, with a grudging nod, Edward turned away and sat.

They had just saved the town another week; and though it took some time and careful deliberation, the whole family had agreed to accept the wizard's proposal when they next came around. Because of that, they had another week.

"Well then," started Alice "I suppose it's our turn now."

And with that, she hopped over to Jasper, took his hand, and both vampires disappeared into the night.

Emmett stretched while Rosalie stood languorously, her slim frame stretching up with as much grace as a cat's.

"We're going as well. See ya in a week." Giving the family a huge grin, he too took Rosalie's hand in his. Barely a second later, they were gone.

"We've got our own work here. We'd best get to it. Edward?" He nodded and stood, his expression unreadable. Finally conceding to give his adoptive parents a reluctant smile that did not quite reach up to his eyes, he too stepped out the front door and ran.

"Good luck."

A whisper meant for all of them, but no one heard it; they were all too far away.

...

The clock chimed the hour, each dong reverberating through the quiet house. Three o'clock. Charlie had gone straight to his room, having stumbled in shortly after one. Bella and Hermione too were in bed, though neither one was sleeping.

Hermione lay quite still in bed, staring up blankly at the ceiling, all the while keeping alert for any possible threats. Her wards should be strong enough to deter any unwanted visitors, and she would know whenever it was breached. Her mind, meanwhile, was miles away, back in London; back to all her friends and loved ones of whose condition she did not know, as there had been no correspondence among them whatsoever. There it was again, that terrible feeling of waiting for the next blow, wondering who was going to be next, selfishly hoping it was not one of your loved ones and that cold, heavy feeling one gets after every kill...

Various events played across her mind; Dumbledore's figure sprawled on the ground, Moody falling from the sky, George with his head covered in blood, the incarcerated Luna and Ollivander, Mr. Tonks, Dobby... there were those who have been harmed and tortured, there were those who had been killed... Countless deaths she was not aware of, numerous families torn apart, their whole world gone in a single flash of green light... The war was terrible, but then again, all wars were and it was necessary to fight.

It had only been a week, but it had already caught up to her here, five thousand miles away from where it started.

All of a sudden, she bolted straight up, a chill spreading across her body.

Somebody had breached her wards.

Bella tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable place to sleep, though she very much doubted that she would fall asleep anyway. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Angela's face smiling at her, the skull in the sky, and, weirdly enough, a green flash of light that could not be explained. It was near enough driving her mad and quiet sobs still racked her body.

"Hey."

A cold, quiet voice that others would have been afraid of; but to Bella, it was the voice of safety, of love, of home_._

"Edward..."

There in the windowsill he sat, smiling gently down at her. She sat up and reached for him; in less than a second he was on her bed, holding her in his arms. Her tears began anew as she held on to him tightly, the pain of losing a friend searing through her heart once more. He simply kept her in a comforting embrace, waiting 'till her tears subsided and she fell asleep, exhausted. Even then, he held her, kissing the remaining tears away before turning to the door and nodding.

Outside stood Hermione, the wall made transparent to her with the use of a spell she'd invented, keeping an eye on Edward's menacing form but not daring to intrude. She jumped when Edward nodded in her direction, quite forgetting that he could sense even the smallest of things.

_So he had known I was outside. I guess he's not such a bad guy, after all._

She too nodded at him, though she knew he couldn't see her, and retreated back to her room, acknowledging Bella's luck in having found Edward.

For a second, she entertained the question of whether or not she would ever have someone like him, her mind flashing back, to the walk she and Jacob had shared this afternoon before feeling ashamed and pushing it out of her mind; she lived in a dangerous era, a dangerous place, and she believed that things like this kind of "love" always came last.

Even though a certain Hogwarts headmaster would have disagreed.

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><p><strong>Phew. I made the deadline. Preparations for college are killing me ohohoho.<strong>

**Ugh, for some reason, I'm not happy with the way things are progressing at all. There have been no Jacob/Hermione moments so far, save for that walk, but I'm thinking of putting up a separate oneshot collection of their interactions in those two days between their meeting and the first attack. Just to make them closer...? I've started on it, actually, and if ever, I'll be putting it on my LiveJournal account. Maybe.**

**Ah yeah. How do you like this chapter? Sorry about killing Angela off, but I thought it would produce a bigger reaction in Bella than if I killed Jessica xD haha.**

**So the usual - reviews are appreciated, pointless flames ignored. Constructive criticism is loved. Thanks to all those who reviewed, I love you guys!**


	6. Chapter 5

**If I were JK Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, then yes, I own HP and Twilight. Unfortunately, I'm not either of them. :(**

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><p>CHAPTER 5<p>

That evening, Edward heard a voice.

It was a completely unfamiliar voice, and yet it was speaking to him, calling his name; he realized half a second later that it was somebody's mind he was reading. He sat up, listening hard; the speaker had called his name, after all.

_Edward._

It came from outside the house, soft and faint, like whoever was speaking to him stood far from the house, but near enough for him to hear her. In a flash, he was up from Bella's bed and looking out her window; his eyes discerned a cloaked figure in the woods, unable to come nearer due to the little witch's wards. Those wards allowed him to enter earlier that night, sensing no danger from him, but it had given him a hard time. He frowned; this figure could mean trouble.

"What?"

A soft whisper, but the figure seemed to have heard; he shifted slightly and Edward narrowed his eyes slightly. It was another vampire, an unfamiliar one.

_I have come... to give a warning._

He remained silent, waiting, his face impassive. What warning could be greater or clearer than the ones the wizards had left above Angela's house?

_That girl you call Elizabeth... is more than she seems to be._

"I know."

_She is more powerful than you could ever imagine, even more powerful than your coven._

Edward simply nodded. He knew this too; Elizabeth exuded a great magical aura, one he did not care to test.

_And she will bring great harm to Bella. A very great danger. And with four of your coven gone... What could you do to protect her?_

His eyebrows rose in slight surprise at this. He had been suspecting her of being a member of the wizards aiming to recruit them, but he didn't think she would attack Bella, especially since she had taken pains to put up wards around their house. He made a small, disbelieving noise, but his suspicions towards Hermione grew nevertheless.

With a quick, fluid movement, he jumped down from Bella's window and walked towards the stranger, stopping a few meters away, still within the protection of the wards. He could see the slight shimmering of the air where the invisible walls were.

"Who are you?"

_A friend. We vampires unite against the wizards._

"How do you know about Elizabeth?"

A low chuckle of amusement.

_Elizabeth? Is she __really__ Elizabeth?_

He remained silent, a frown forming on his face.

_She's using you, Bella most of all. And now that they have started to move, she has no further use of Bella; she will dispose of her soon._

"How do you know all this? Do you even have any proof?"

_Tell me, Edward. Where was she when Angela Weber was attacked? Ask your precious Bella. And tell me this; can you read her mind at all?_

Edward didn't reply, but a feeling of dread started spreading throughout his body. A slight chill hung in the air, and though his vampire skin couldn't feel it, the implications of what the figure said caused him to internally shudder as cold anger manifested in him.

"You're accusing her of killing the Webers."

The stranger merely shrugged, the rise and fall of his shoulders clear to Edward even in the dark.

_You can read my mind; you know whether I am lying or not._

It was true; Edward sensed no hints of lies in his words. But there was something, _something_ that didn't feel right, as though he was missing something although he could read everything the stranger was thinking. And right now, he seemed to be thinking only of their conversation.

_She will move two days from now, kill Bella on their way home from school. You must stop her at all costs._

"Why are you telling me this?"

_We help each other against the wizards. And Hermione Granger has done me a very grave sin._

A few minutes passed with neither vampire saying anything. A gentle breeze brushed past, and the rustling of the trees seemed to laugh quietly.

"I need more proof."

The figure nodded. A few seconds of silence... and suddenly, Edward was assaulted by several scenes flashing rapidly through his mind. Memories, but not his own - the stranger was showing him everything.

A huge fire burning in Germany's Black Forest. Smoke and flashes of light everywhere. Snarls and shouts of foreign words rent the air. Vampires being ripped apart and thrown into the fire. Utter chaos reigned. And suddenly... a pair of black shoes in front of him.

"Those who defy the Dark Lord... will not be allowed to live."

Another vampire snarled and dashed forward, only to be thrown back and slammed into a tree trunk less than a second later by a jet of bright red light.

A cold, low hiss snaked through the air, cruel and dangerous. It was enough to strike fear into the hearts if all the remaining vampires.

_Harry Potter... now... Hogwarts._

"Yes, master."

A loud crack, and the single figure disappeared. It was amazing, really, how a single person had managed to kill several members of a vampire coven. He looked around. Out of the six members, only three of them remained.

"Harry Potter... you will pay for this."

The next images showed flashes of scenery, of various humans being hunted, of running, running quickly towards their only clue as to their family's murderer. Hogwarts.

A huge castle looming in the horizon. All three vampires headed towards the forest beside it, deciding that it would be best to stay unseen while they searched for a way to get to him. There were wards, wards so powerful they couldn't move close to the castle and had to settle for the forest instead. A few months of living in the Forbidden Forest passed; the once-empty castle came alive one September evening. The vampires stirred; Harry Potter was sure to be one of them.

Two more months passed, however, before they heard anything of significance.

"They say he met a couple of vampires in the Black Forest. Hasn't been the same since."

The vampires perked up and turned to the voices. Soon, two identical-looking students wandered into the edge of the forest, their hair a flaming red. They waited, willing the students to come deeper into the forest. They were surely talking about their coven; no other vampires lived near them back in Germany.

"Hey, I don't think we'll find any Doxy eggs here."

"Can't hurt to try, can it?"

Silently they followed the two, in hopes that they would somehow provide information on the man they were seeking. Their hopes weren't in vain.

"So what do you reckon? Think Harry Potter'll help us win the house cup this year?"

"If he doesn't hang out so much with ickle ronniekins, perhaps. Our dear brother's idiocy might just rub off on him."

"Ah well, better that way than take after Percy."

He puffed up his chest and stood straight, presumably imitating Percy. The other laughed.

"Heard they took down the troll with Hermione Granger last night."

"Right. Ronniekins might just take after us."

"I'm so proud."

Their laughter faded away as they moved farther west, away from the vampires but not going any farther in to the woods. The three looked at each other. Yes, this Harry Potter was most certainly the man they were looking for. Now they had two other names. He will pay with his friends.

The scenes in Edward's mind flashed forward to three years later. He was at party... a pretty extravagant Christmas party, by the looks of it.

"Harry, m'boy, so many people I'd like you to meet!"

He swiveled around slowly to stare at the approaching boy. He didn't expect him to be so young. Surprise, then red hot anger burned in him, but he managed to keep his face impassive. His red eyes bored straight into the boy.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple,an old student of mine, author of _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires_ - and of course, his friend Sanguini."

Harry shook Worple's hand and Sanguini nodded, somehow managing to keep his expression bored despite the strong urge to kill him right now. The raven-haired boy was small, his hair a mess, with eyes a startling green. He looked nothing special, and he wondered how this weakling could have defeated his coven. And yet he had been hearing nothing from Worple but the amazing feats of Potter all day, and of his hopes to write his biography. He nearly snorted; if only they knew just what Harry Potter was, they wouldn't be singing his praises so easily.

"... I've just seen a friend of mine, sorry."

The boy left, his blonde date in tow. He watched them leave, following them with his narrowed eyes.

"Hermione! Hermione!"

Ah, so that was Hermione. She too was small, her slender frame all dressed up for the party, but she looked positively disheveled, her wild hair coming out of the bun it was in. He closed his eyes and listened, but they seemed to just be talking of a certain McLaggen, of whom he had no interest in. Opening his eyes, he studied them instead, engraving into his memory what the brats looked like. He would get them back one day.

"Enough."

Edward glared at him, an angry and disturbed look in his face. The man was not lying; these were all truths. He saw it with his own eyes... he saw _her_ with his own eyes. Liz - no, Hermione - was dangerous. He could not deny that any more.

_She will come after Bella soon. Get her to come to "your" clearing at 5 on Monday. We'll deal with her then. Do not make her suspicious._

With that, the figure turned and ran back, disappearing from sight a second later, leaving a worried and angry Edward behind.

...

The doorbell rang and Hermione jumped, so engrossed was she in making plans. She opened her door and glanced around; Charlie was at the station and Bella was with Edward. She was alone. Cautiously, she crept down, muttering the same spell she used on Bella's room last night, heaving a sigh of relief upon seeing a very familiar hulking figure in the doorway, and she opened the door.

"Hey, Liz."

She smiled, albeit a strained and distracted one. "Jacob." Unconsciously, she had narrowed her eyes in suspicion; it wasn't out of the question for someone to have taken Jacob Black Polyjuice Potion. _But would the effects still be the same, with Jacob being what he is? _She shuddered, remembering her second year... and Millicent Bulstrode's cat.

"So... can I come in?"

She blinked, startled, before uttering a flustered apology and leading him in, her cheeks a slight tinge of pink. She glanced out the door and saw a slight shimmer in the air; an indicator that her wards still held. Anybody in a disguise would have been robbed of it the second they stepped into it.

She frowned and a cold chill settled into her stomach. Her wards should have alerted her to Jacob's presence in the first place.

Jacob hadn't missed her distraction. He stopped and laid a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie.

"Hey, let's get out of here for a while. It's not good staying in the house all the time." He said with that wolfish grin of his. She let out a half-hearted smile, her mind still troubled. There was something wrong. There couldn't be anything wrong with her wards; she had taken care to execute them perfectly. Though she would never admit it out loud, Hermione was proud of her spell-casting abilities.

"Oh, but, I was studying -"

"According to Bella, you're smart enough. Loosen up a bit, it's a Saturday after all."

At this, Hermione reluctantly nodded and allowed Jacob to steer her out of the house, her expression one of helplessness and slight desperation. She turned to lock the door, intending to stall for a few more moments. When she couldn't delay any longer, she turned and walked down to Jacob... only to spin around in alarm. Someone had breached her wards from behind the house.

"Liz? What's wrong?"

"I... I think I heard a noise from the back..."

Without thinking, Jacob quickly strode to the back, Hermione following close behind.

"No, stay out front. Please."

She wasn't about to let him go alone, but something in his voice told her to stay put. Jacob didn't know what came over him, but for some reason _probably the imprinting thing,_ he knew this wasn't just paranoia on her part. There really was someone there.

He rounded the corner of the house and saw...

A naked Seth standing confusedly in the backyard.

"Seth! What the hell are you doing?"

"Wha - Jake! I don't know! I was patrolling like you told me to... And when I moved closer to the house, I suddenly found myself like this!"

"What?"

"I can't transform back..."

Jacob's eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Are you messing with me? 'Coz that's not funny."

"No, really..."

He frowned. The poor guy looked near tears with panic. He was still young, after all, younger than all the rest of them.

"Well, first put on your clothes... They're still with you, right?"

He nodded, patting a pouch strapped to his leg before pulling his clothes out. He dressed quickly while Jacob made sure Elizabeth was still out front; she was, but she was pacing worriedly up and down, a sort of stick clutched in her hand. Jacob couldn't see how that stick could protect her from anything, and he grinned.

"Jake..."

He turned back to the poor boy staring worriedly up at him.

"You need to get to Sam right away. I'll take you home."

"Yeah... Hey wait. I'm not a kid anymore!"

"No, but I'm still taking you there. Come on."

The two walked back to where Hermione was anxiously waiting, glancing around warily. Suddenly, she smacked herself on the head (_Am I a witch or not?) _and muttered something indiscernible; almost immediately, Jacob and Seth felt as though something cold had just passed through them. Hermione lowered herself in a defensive stance. _Two men approaching. _Shuddering, the two wolves rounded the corner of the house and Hermione pointed her wand straight at them, only to hastily stow it away when she saw who it was.

"Jacob!"

He grinned. "Seth here just got lost, nothing to worry about."

She walked up to them briskly and hit his arm in frustration. "Then what the bloody hell took you so long?"

He laughed, not even feeling the force of her blow. "Had to comfort the poor thing. He's never been here, see."

Seth frowned and silently vowed to get Jacob back as soon as they were alone. Hermione frowned, although she now had a good idea of what happened. Seth must have been in wolf form when he approached, and her wards forced him to return to his human form. _Huh. At least I know my wards still work._

"I'll be taking this runt back to the reserve. You coming?"

She glanced at the house once more before giving him a curt nod, still quite shaken with worry. Truth be told, she didn't know why she stayed put... but there was something that had held her back. Jacob's heart soared and he led them both to his car, grinning happily.

...

Edward sat at the piano, the sweet notes floating to every corner of the empty house while Bella sat beside him, her eyes closed to the melody. He watched her as he played, admiring the serene expression on her face.

_Nobody can ever take Bella away from me._

No. And he would do everything in his power to stop those who would dare harm her. His mind flashed back to the events of last night.

_I'll protect you, Bella._ He closed his eyes and saw the image of Hermione Granger; almost immediately, hot anger burned deep in him, vowing to stop her.

* * *

><p><strong>Phew. I'm one day late... sorry. :( Oh and this hasn't been beta'ed, so feel free to point out any mistakes you find here. :D<strong>

**Urk. I don't think I'm doing so well... Preparations for college are killing me. I'm gonna be a college freshman in a week! :O**

**Anyway, I wanna thank Limxuxu09 for providing me with much needed inspiration! Thank you so much *bows***

**And... I'm sorry for not replying to each of your reviews personally. I'll get to them right away :D But thank you so much, you guys keep me writing even if I have problems with sticking to one thing for long... You guys are amazing. You managed to make me write so much for a single story. xD**


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